Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008 - (Page 14)

2008 Executives of the Year Continued from page 12 natural, whole grain or lower fat, these are the niches the company does well in. It’s a growing area and customers are more concerned about what they eat. Consumers also are paying attention to the business’ status in the community. For instance, the state of California continues to increase government regulations so that production facilities function according to eco-friendly rules. Snak King is evaluating such changes by using sustainable or compostable bags and recycling all shipping and storage boxes after use, Papiri explains. The company, Papiri adds, has made innovations in the packaging area by introducing products in a matte ﬁnish bag as opposed to the typical shiny snack packaging. It’s also using stand-up bags for improved merchandising and with zippers for consumer convenience in larger sizes. Packaging design in general, Jones says, needs to evolve constantly so that product representation on the shelf stays fresh with consumers as they respond to and are searching for something new and exciting. In addition to upgrading its products, the company also managed to chalk up more accolades even while weathering the storm and putting out ﬁres. In 2006, Snak King received the “Excellence in Business-Manufacturing” reward from Los Angeles Business Journal and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery magazine crowned the company with its annual “Snack Manufacturer of the Year” award. Levin, a former chairman of the Snack Food Association, was honored by Ernst & Young as “2007 Entrepreneur of the Year” for the greater Los Angeles. But it’s not just the honors that hold a gratifying place in his heart. “It’s an honor to receive the awards we’ve received, but really the acknowledgement is for everybody in the company,” Levin says. “The greatest reward is working with people who enjoy what they do every day.” Hail to the King Unlike in college, life gives experience ﬁrst and lessons later. If that’s true, the executives at Snak King have received a ﬁstful of degrees from real life school of business. Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery selected Barry Levin and his team at Snak King as our executives of the year. Over the years, they persevered and even thrived despite the challenges they have encountered. It took not only strength, but also teamwork, dedication, a laser-like focus on customer service and the pure will to succeed at times when many businessmen would have thrown in the towel. These are the character traits found in leaders not only in business or the snack food industry, but also in every walk of life. Congratulations to the executive team at Snak King Corp. — Dan Malovany, editor Ensuring Success Looking back at the spate of unfortunate instances, Levin, Jones, Papiri and Schieldge are quick to note that having sufﬁcient insurance coverage helped save the company from literally collapsing under the weight of its own roof. “Mind you, you want insurance,” Levin says. “It’s really not for the minor daily fender benders shall we say. It’s really for the catastrophic challenge, the [one] that’s so big that you can’t afford to overcome it without insurance.” Jones advises all snack producers to have an emergency plan in place and to continually review insurance policies on a regular basis. Despite the chain of unfortunate events, Jones says, the company is better off now than anytime within the last 10 years. The company, Papiri adds, will continue to ﬂourish despite government regulations, a changing retail environment and increased competition in the salted snack market. “[In ﬁve years], I think we’ll still be having fun,” he predicts. “We know what challenges are ahead.” In the meantime, the ability to weather the bad times and the determination to come back stronger has provided additional payoffs. “You surround yourself with good people that have positive attitudes in life,” Jones says, “and it becomes contagious.” That approach combined with a knack for innovation helps companies like Snak King overcome any obstacles, Levin says. “You come up with an idea, you design a product, you design a package, you put it on the shelf,” he notes. “So the great thing about this industry is that you have the ability to be creative. How much better can life be?” Together, they hope to produce snacks happily ever after. SF&WB 14 Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - NOVEMBER 2008 www.snackandbakery.com http://www.snackandbakery.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Cover Story: The Comeback King Royal Treatment Let Freedom Ring New Products The Heat is On Engineering Management Going in New Directions Warm Up with Cold Treats The Final Word

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - November 2008

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